Evidence
by Timeloopy
Summary: I can't be the only one who was a little annoyed with Brennan after 'The Parts in the Sum of the Whole'. . .so just a tiny bit of angst. . .spoilery through TPSW.


_A/N: I sincerely hope she doesn't get what she deserves, but I kind of think this is what she deserves. ;)_

The phone rang and Temperance Brennan slid it out of her pocket with her standard grace and professionalism.

"Temperance Brennan," she said with her usual air of confidence.

Angela thought she was the only one who saw her shoulders sag ever so slightly when the caller began to speak.

"Not him," Hodgins said from so close he startled her.

"Not who?" Angela said, defensive of her friend's closely guarded privacy.

"We haven't had a case in six weeks, Angela. It's been all identifications from the archaeological dig in Peru. It's like Booth dropped off the face of the earth."

"The archaeological identifications are our job," Angela pointed out, though she still kept an eye on Brennan. "And we had a case a couple weeks ago – they brought the body of that teenage runaway in – or have you forgotten?"

"For identification, only," Hodgins reminded her. "And once we determined that it was an accident Booth was out of here like a shot. They barely spoke."

"There was nothing to investigate," Angela said, but they both knew something was off. Something that kept Booth from bouncing into the Jeffersonian with a spring in his step to announce to Brennan that they had a case.

"FBI," Brennan was saying to Daisy who had appeared at her elbow the minute the call disconnected. "They're bringing us a body."

Angela waited until Brennan had busied Daisy with preparations for the impending delivery before she followed her to her office and closed the door.

"Talk." Angela demanded.

"About?" Brennan said, feigning ignorance which wasn't her strong suit.

"What happened with you and Booth? Why isn't he here telling us there's a body? Why isn't he-"

She was interrupted by Cam's tap at the door. That was the other problem lately. Not only was Booth absent and Brennan silent. Cam was irritated – with Brennan if her demeanor were any indication.

"The FBI is bringing in a body for our analysis."

"I'm aware of that Dr. Saroyan." Brennan's manner had chilled significantly at Cam's arrival.

"I was in the field for the initial examination – someone killed that poor girl – you do your job. Don't let your personal issues get in the way."

"I always do," Brennan said evenly.

"Yes, you do," Cam said with a little vinegar before turning to go. At the door she paused and tapped her fist against her hand as though trying to make a decision. Finally, she turned back to where Brennan was tensed in preparation for attack.

"Seely Booth is a fine man. A good man. Don't. . .don't make this harder for him than it has to be," Cam said and Angela had no doubt that this message was intended for Brennan. At least partly because she still had no idea what it was that might be hard for Booth to begin with.

Although. . .it didn't take a string of doctorates to realize that something had happened between her best friend and her partner. Something that had introduced a great deal of tension in her friend and co-worker.

As soon as Cam was gone, Angela leaned against Brennan's death.

"Sweetie? What happened?"

"Nothing, Angela. Nothing happened. And nothing's ever going to." Brennan busied herself shifting papers on her desk but Angela noticed her eyes were damp although she quickly blinked the tears away.

"Sweetie," Angela began but Brennan cut her off.

"I have work, Angela. And you have work." When Brennan lifted her head, the professionalism had fallen away and a sad smile urged Angela to take her next words to heart. "Please, Angela. I need to work."

Angela sighed and went to her office to bring up the programs which would undoubtedly be needed within the hour.

***

Later that night, Brennan sat in her apartment swirling tequila in a glass. She thought of calling Angela, because Angela would understand. She would listen.

But she wasn't ready for that yet. Instead, she decided to examine the evidence – the evidence always revealed the truth.

Fact – Seely Booth had walked into the Jeffersonian this morning and been completely cordial to her.

Fact – Seely Booth had taken her back out to the murder scene to get her opinion on the case.

Fact – Seely Booth had not been wearing his Cocky belt buckle. But that was extraneous information, wasn't it? What difference did that make? He didn't wear it after the surgery and that hadn't meant anything.

Fact - Her partner hadn't argued with her. Not once. She gave him her assessment of the evidence and he nodded and made notes in his notebook. But, that was good, right? It meant he respected her opinion. It meant he wasn't questioning her judgement.

Fact – He allowed her to sit in on the interrogation. The interrogation of a former nun who had left the church. And when afterward she had questioned how faith could be real if it could so easily be abandoned, he'd cocked his head to one side and shrugged. "I guess you'd see it that way," he'd said noncommittally.

Fact – If she were honest with herself, she'd pushed at him – tried to get at his opinion but he hadn't reacted. Not at all. He'd just walked to the car and opened the door.

Fact – She asked to drive. And he tossed her the keys. Then he spent the drive back shuffling through his notes and not saying anything. Unless she asked a question – then he answered – cordially – professionally. Like she was his partner. Like she was just his partner.

She poured another shot of tequila and threw it back – chased it with another. The truth was her friend. Evidence led to the truth – facts were truth. He'd once told her that she held her liquor well and she wished he'd been wrong. She wanted the liquor to blur her senses – she wanted it to distort the facts. Because she didn't like these facts.

These facts weren't her friends.

Fact – Seely Booth had laid his heart on the line.

Fact – Seely Booth had asked her to give them a chance – to give him a chance.

Fact – Seely Booth had kissed her and she'd pulled away.

Fact – Seely Booth had begged her not to hide behind her brokenness – his eyes had pleaded with her to take a gamble for once in her life.

Fact – She said no.

She drank the tequila and willed herself to forget the facts. Something she'd never done before and probably would never do again. But just this once she didn't want the facts staring her so baldly in the face. Just this once she wanted to be like other people who could hide from the truth – who could live on hope and faith and dreams.

Fact – She'd seen it as soon as he'd walked into the Jeffersonian this morning. It might as well have been a bright red banner.

Fact – She'd felt her heart stop beating. If only for second.

Fact – Angela had laid a hand on her arm and instead of shaking it off as was her natural impulse, she'd clung to the human contact. She'd needed it to get through those first few minutes as he walked across the gleaming white tile toward her.

The tequila had finally dulled her senses a little. Her red rimmed eyes began to spill the tears down her cheeks as she remembered that moment when the evidence had overwhelmed her. When her eyes couldn't leave his left hand and he'd looked like it was killing him to know how this was affecting her.

"Long time, no see, huh Bones," but the nickname had sounded hollow somehow. It lacked that loving warmth that he'd always wrapped around it. Though she didn't realize it just then, he wouldn't use it again – it hurt them both too much.

"I see," she'd swallowed and tried to get her bearings. "I see that you're wearing a ring."

He lifted his left hand and turned it back and forth, not looking at her. "Yeah, I would have invited you but. . .we went to Vegas. . .it was one of those whirlwind things – love at first sight."

A lot of heart, he'd once said. And now it felt like every inch of it was collapsing in on itself.

"I don't believe in love," she said succinctly – forcing her voice to remain steady.

"I know," he said with the voice of a man defeated. "I know."


End file.
